SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “immunization”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 685 records · Page 38Linked to original sources

PubMed1979

Cell-mediated immune responses to the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens of influenza A virus after immunization in humans.

Humoral and cell-mediated immunity (CMI) were evaluated in groups of school children after immunization with inactivated influenza virus vaccines. A conventional biphasic strain (H3ChN2Ch) of Port Chalmers influenza virus (X-41), a recombinant influenza virus specific for the neuraminidase antigen (Heq1N2Ch) of Port Chambers influenza A virus (X-42), and a placebo were employed for immunization. The techniques of hemagglutination inhibition and neuraminidase inhibition were used to determine serum antibody titers. The CMI responses were evaluated by the in vitro lymphocyte transformation assay employing HavN2Ch, Heq1Neq1, H3ChNeq1, and H3ChN2Ch influenza A virus strains as stimulants. Specific HAI antibody and CMI responses to H3Ch were observed in X-41 but not in X-42 vaccinees. Specific anti-neuraminidase antibodies and CMI responses to N2Ch were manifested by both X-41 and X-42 vaccinees. Immunization with the placebo resulted in no influenza-specific immune responses. The CMI response was first detectable 10 days after immunization and then declined. These observations demonstrate the induction of CMI responses to the HA and NA influenza surface antigens after immunization. These responses may be important in antiviral immunity and the recovery from influenza infection.

Antibodies, Viral↗

PubMed1993

Immune response of the female rat genital tract after oral and local immunization with keyhole limpet hemocyanin conjugated to the cholera toxin B subunit.

The immune response of the female rat genital tract was evaluated with Lewis rats given primary and secondary immunizations with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) alone or coupled to the cholera toxin (CT) B subunit (CTB) by the oral or intravaginal-uterine route or a combination of routes. CT (2 to 5 micrograms) was administered as an adjuvant with the KLH-CTB conjugate. While a significant mucosal immunoglobulin A (IgA) response was induced by KLH, there were no significant differences among the immunized groups in the levels of IgA antibodies in salivary gland, gut, vaginal, and uterine secretions, with the exception that rats immunized only orally with the KLH-CTB conjugate lacked a detectable vaginal response. Levels of IgA antibodies to CT, however, were significantly increased in genital tract secretions of rats immunized locally versus orally with the KLH-CTB conjugate. Antibody activity of the IgG isotype against both KLH and CT was significantly elevated in genital tract secretions of rats immunized with KLH-CTB by the oral or intravaginal-uterine route and given genital tract boosters, in comparison with the results for the other groups. IgM antibody titers were generally negligible in the different secretions. An enzyme-linked spot-forming assay revealed IgA and IgG antibody-secreting cells in salivary gland and uterine tissues. A highly significant correlation between the numbers of antibody-secreting cells and antibody titers existed for uterine IgG but not IgA responses to KLH among the different groups of rats. In conclusion, a vigorous local immune response was induced after immunization of the female rat reproductive tract alone or in combination with peroral challenge with the KLH-CTB conjugate.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

PubMed1999

Receptor-dependent immune responses in pigs after oral immunization with F4 fimbriae.

F4 receptor-positive (F4R+) and F4 receptor-negative (F4R-) pigs were orally vaccinated with purified F4 fimbriae of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC). Serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA responses were readily detected in F4R+ animals, whereas immune responses were not detected in F4R- animals. Even after a subsequent oral infection with virulent F4(+) ETEC and a booster immunization with F4, the F4R- animals remained F4 seronegative whereas the unvaccinated F4R+ pigs exhibited clear IgA and IgG responses. These results clearly demonstrate that F4Rs are a prerequisite for an immune response following oral immunization. Furthermore, indications that oral F4 vaccination can induce mucosal protection were obtained, since the experimental ETEC infection did not induce a systemic booster response or fecal ETEC excretion in orally vaccinated F4R+ pigs, in contrast to the clear immune response and ETEC excretion of unvaccinated F4R+ animals. F4-specific IgA antibodies could be found in the feces of the vaccinated F4R+ pigs. They are secreted at the intestinal mucosal surface and appear to prevent ETEC infection. The F4R-dependent induction of a mucosal immune response can be used as a model to better understand mucosal immunization and mucosal immune responses and can contribute to the development of oral vaccines in veterinary as well as in human medicine.

Adhesins, Escherichia coli↗

PubMed2002

Cross-protective immunity of mice induced by oral immunization with pneumococcal surface adhesin a encapsulated in microspheres.

The global use of a capsular polysaccharide-based pneumococcal vaccine has been limited because of serotype-specific protection and poor effectiveness in individuals with low immunocompetency. The mucosal immune system develops earlier in infants and lasts longer in the elderly than does the systemic immune system. Furthermore, mucosal immunization is beneficial for AIDS patients, because human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects can develop normal mucosal antibody responses even in late clinical phases. For these reasons, we evaluated recombinant pneumococcal surface adhesin A (rPsaA) of Streptococcus pneumoniae in terms of cross-protective immune responses after oral delivery. Encapsulated rPsaA provided higher immunogenicity than naked rPsaA. Coencapsulation or codelivery of the cholera toxin (CT) B subunit (CTB) and CT also increased the immunogenicity of rPsaA. Cross-protective immunities against five strains of S. pneumoniae (types 4, 6B, 14, 19F, and 23F) were induced after oral immunization with microencapsulated rPsaA. Lung colonization and septicemia caused by the five serotypes were significantly inhibited by oral immunization with microencapsulated rPsaA. These results suggest that rPsaA coencapsulated with CTB can be used as an oral vaccine to induce cross-protective immunity for the prevention of pneumococcal infection.

Adhesins, Bacterial↗

PubMed2005

Induction of protective immunity to anthrax lethal toxin with a nonhuman primate adenovirus-based vaccine in the presence of preexisting anti-human adenovirus immunity.

Prevention or therapy for bioterrorism-associated anthrax infections requires rapidly acting effective vaccines. We recently demonstrated (Y. Tan, N. R. Hackett, J. L. Boyer, and R. G. Crystal, Hum. Gene Ther. 14:1673-1682, 2003) that a single administration of a recombinant serotype 5 adenovirus (Ad) vector expressing anthrax protective antigen (PA) provides rapid protection against anthrax lethal toxin challenge. However, approximately 35 to 50% of humans have preexisting neutralizing antibodies against Ad5. This study assesses the hypothesis that a recombinant adenovirus vaccine based on the nonhuman primate-derived serotype AdC7, against which humans do not have immunity, expressing PA (AdC7PA) will protect against anthrax lethal toxin even in the presence of preexisting anti-Ad5 immunity. Naive and Ad5-immunized BALB/c mice received (intramuscularly) 10(8) to 10(11) particle units (PU) of AdC7PA, Ad5PA (a human serotype Ad5-based vector expressing a secreted form of PA), or AdNull (an Ad5 vector with no transgene). Robust anti-PA immunoglobulin G and neutralizing antibodies were detected by 2 to 4 weeks following administration of AdC7PA to naive or Ad5 preimmunized mice, whereas low anti-PA titers were detected in Ad5-preimmunized mice following administration of Ad5PA. To assess protection in vivo, naive or mice previously immunized against Ad5 were immunized with AdC7PA or Ad5PA and then challenged with a lethal intravenous dose of Bacillus anthracis lethal toxin. Whereas Ad5PA protected naive mice against challenge with B. anthracis lethal toxin, Ad5PA was ineffective in mice that were previously immunized against Ad5. In contrast, AdC7PA functioned effectively not only to protect naive mice but also to protect Ad5-preimmunized mice, with 100% survival after lethal toxin challenge. These data suggest the nonhuman-based vector AdC7PA is an effective vaccine for the development of protective immunity against B. anthracis and importantly functions as a "sero-switch" base for an adenovirus vaccine to function in the context of preexisting anti-Ad immunity.

Adenoviridae↗

PubMed2005

An ontology for immune epitopes: application to the design of a broad scope database of immune reactivities.

BACKGROUND: Epitopes can be defined as the molecular structures bound by specific receptors, which are recognized during immune responses. The Immune Epitope Database and Analysis Resource (IEDB) project will catalog and organize information regarding antibody and T cell epitopes from infectious pathogens, experimental antigens and self-antigens, with a priority on NIAID Category A-C pathogens (http://www2.niaid.nih.gov/Biodefense/bandc_priority.htm) and emerging/re-emerging infectious diseases. Both intrinsic structural and phylogenetic features, as well as information relating to the interactions of the epitopes with the host's immune system will be catalogued. DESCRIPTION: To effectively represent and communicate the information related to immune epitopes, a formal ontology was developed. The semantics of the epitope domain and related concepts were captured as a hierarchy of classes, which represent the general and specialized relationships between the various concepts. A complete listing of classes and their properties can be found at http://www.immuneepitope.org/ontology/index.html. CONCLUSION: The IEDB's ontology is the first ontology specifically designed to capture both intrinsic chemical and biochemical information relating to immune epitopes with information relating to the interaction of these structures with molecules derived from the host immune system. We anticipate that the development of this type of ontology and associated databases will facilitate rigorous description of data related to immune epitopes, and might ultimately lead to completely new methods for describing and modeling immune responses.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

Drug-specific immune responses induced by immunization with drugs in guinea pigs and mice.

In order to develop a system for evaluating the allergenicity of drugs in clinical use, we tested drugs for the ability to induce drug-specific immune responses in guinea pigs and mice. Test drugs were benzylpenicillin, procainamide, hydralazine, isoniazid, alpha-methyldopa, D-penicillamine, captopril, sulfamethoxazole and 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB), which are known to induce allergic responses in man including hypersensitivity reactions and drug-induced auto-immune responses. Guinea pigs were immunized with an emulsion of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) and 25 mg of each drug. Mice were immunized with an emulsion of CFA and 2 mg of each drug or a mixture of aluminum hydroxide gel and 2 mg of each drug. In order to examine drug-specific immune responses, we employed detection of antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and passive cutaneous anaphylaxis tests, active systemic anaphylaxis (ASA) tests and delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) tests. In guinea pigs, drug-specific antibodies were detected following immunization with benzylpenicillin, procainamide, hydralazine, isoniazid, captopril, sulfamethoxazole or DNCB. Some of these drugs were also positive in DTH tests and/or ASA tests. In mice, however, only DNCB gave positive results. Therefore, our system involving immunization of guinea pigs with CFA emulsion of a drug and detection of drug-specific immune responses is considered to be an effective test method for evaluating drug allergenicity.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Enkephalins, brain and immunity: modulation of immune responses by methionine-enkephalin injected into the cerebral cavity.

There is a large number of interactions at molecular and cellular levels between the nervous system and the immune system. It has been demonstrated that the opioid neuropentapeptide methionine-enkephalin (Met-Enk) is involved in humoral and cell-mediated immune reactions. Met-Enk injected peripherally produces a dual and dose-dependent immunomodulatory effect: high doses suppress, whereas low doses potentiate the immune reactivity. The present mini-review concerns the immunological activity of Met-Enk after its administration into the lateral ventricles of the rat brain, and describes the extraordinary capacity of centrally applied Met-Enk to regulate/modulate the immune function. This survey is composed of sections dealing with (a) the role of opioid peptides in the central nervous system (CNS); (b) the activity of opioid peptides in the immune system; (c) the application of Met-Enk into the cerebral cavity; (d) the influence of centrally administered Met-Enk on nonspecific local inflammatory reaction; (e) the effect of Met-Enk injected intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) on specific delayed hypersensitivity skin reaction, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis, anaphylactic shock, plaque-forming cell response, and hemagglutinin production; (f) the central antagonizing action of quaternary naltrexone, an opioid antagonist that does not cross the brain-blood barrier, on Met-Enk-induced immunomodulation; (g) the alteration of immune responsiveness by i.c.v. injection of enkephalinase-degrading enzymes; (h) the participation of the brain-blood/blood-brain barrier in the CNS-immune system interaction; and (i) the role of opioid receptors in immunological activity of Met-Enk. A hypothesis has been advanced for the reaction of Met-Enk and opioid receptor sitting on the cell membrane. This concept suggests that the constellation of chemical residues of enkephalin and receptor in the microenvironment determines the binding between the opioid partners. The plurality of conformational structures of enkephalins and receptors makes possible their involvement in a variety of processes which occur in different physiological systems, including the nervous system and the immune system, and intercommunications between the two systems.

Animals↗

PubMed2000

[Efficacy and immune memory of plasma-derived hepatitis B vaccine 11 years after primary immunization].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term efficacy of hepatitis B vaccine 10 years after primary immunization to provide scientific basis for the time of revaccination. METHODS: The study was strictly designed with randomization, double-blinding, and placebo-controlled method to observe the efficacy and immune memory 11 years following hepatitis B vaccination. RESULTS: Immunogenicity and protective rate of vaccine were still kept well 11 years after immunization with a protective rate against HBV infection of 73.5%. But, there was no significant difference in HBV infection rates between vaccine group and placebo-controlled group (7.89% vs. 13.25%, P > 0.1) nine to 11 years following immunization. There still existed immune memory 11 years after immunization, but it was significantly weaker than that within the first 10 years after immunization. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of the vaccine had begun to drop 11 years after immunization, which should be followed up further to reach a clear conclusion.

Double-Blind Method↗

PubMed1999

Effect of Immune Interactions in Mother-Fetus System on Formation of Immune Response to Main Vaccinal Antigens.

Immune disturbances in the mother-fetus system are transformed to the postnatal period in the form of different kinds of immune pathology. Do these disturbances have an effect on the formation of postvaccinal immune response? A study was made in 81 children who were 14 months old. The immune response to diphtheria and measles antigen in those children was studied in the passive hemagglutination reaction. In order to detect immune disturbances in the mother-fetus system, their parents were tested using the methods: a mixed culture of lymphocytes (MLC) of the parents and determination of the blocking activity of the female serum (BAS) in MLC. The conducted study showed that there is a mutual relationship between the weak proliferative response in the MLC of the parents, combined with the absence of BAS, and low immune response to the diphtheria antigen. As regards measles vaccination, a close relationship between the strength of the immune response and immune reproductive disturbances has not been established. The obtained data may be used to predict the efficacy of alum precipitated DTP and DT vaccines.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1992

Cellular immune response to the antigen administered as an immune complex in vivo.

Recently, it was shown that 10(2)- to 10(3)-fold lower doses of human serum albumin (HSA) are sufficient for the same T-cell response in vitro, if HSA is administered to the cultures bound in the immune complex rather than in the soluble form. In the present study, we analysed the capacity of HSA in the form of immune complexes to elicit specific cellular immune response in vivo. We found that antigen bound in the immune complex with murine, syngeneic polyclonal antibodies elicited the same T-cell response as fivefold higher doses of free antigen. On the other hand, HSA bound in the immune complexes with xenogeneic, rabbit polyclonal antibodies did not enhance anti-HSA cellular immune response. Our results indicate that binding of antigen in the immune complex could play an important role in enhancing an antigen-specific cellular immune response in vivo.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

[Mechanism of augmented anti-tumor immunity in reconstituted lymphopenic mice immunized with melanoma vaccine].

OBJECTIVE: To explore mechanisms of the augmented anti-tumor immunity observed in reconstituted lymphopenic mice (RLM) receiving melanoma vaccination. METHODS: The study is to investigate the anti-tumor immunity of tumor vaccination during early immune reconstitution period following irradiation and cyclophosphamide (CY)-induced lymphopenia. Lymphopenic mice were subsequently reconstituted with naive splenocytes from syngeneic mice and immunized with irradiated melanoma cells F10 (irradiation experiment) and GM-CSF-modified D5 melanoma cells (D5-G6) (CY experiment). Controls included normal C57BL/6 mice receiving the corresponding vaccination, un-immunized naive mice and RLM. 8 - 10 days after vaccination, tumor vaccine draining lymph nodes (TVDLN) were harvested and phenotyped by FACS analysis. T cells purified from TVDLN were stimulated with anti-CD3 and anti-TCRbeta and proliferation was assessed by [(3)H]-TdR incorporation and FACS assay was performed for CD69 expression. RESULTS: The augmented anti-tumor immunity correlated with a significant increase in the percentage of T cells with activation/memory phenotype in the TVDLN of vaccinated RLM, compared to that of the controls. There was also a significant increase in the density of DCs in TVDLNs. The activation threshold of T cells generated from vaccinated RLM was significantly decreased, resulting in markedly enhanced proliferating capability upon anti-CD3 stimulation. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that the augmented anti-tumor immunity observed in vaccinated RLM is due to down regulated activation threshold of T cells during lymphopenia-driven T cell proliferation, which may in turn facilitate the breaking down of immune tolerance to weak tumor antigens upon vaccination with tumor cell vaccines.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Evaluation of the humoral immune response in BALB/c mice immunized with a naked DNA vaccine anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is the major pathogen involved in nosocomial infections, leading to high rates of morbidity and mortality in hospitals worldwide. The methicillin resistance occurs due to the presence of an additional penicillin-binding protein, PBP2a, which has low affinity for beta-lactam antibiotics. In the past few years, vancomycin has been the only antibiotic option for treatment of infections caused by multiresistant MRSA; however, reports of vancomycin-resistant strains have generated great concerns regarding the treatment to overcome these infections. In the present study, we report preliminary results regarding the humoral immune response generated in BALB/c mice by two different doses of naked DNA vaccine containing an internal region, comprising the serine-protease domain, of the PBP2a of MRSA. The immunization procedure consisted of four immunizations given intramuscularly within 15-day intervals. Blood was collect weekly and anti-PBP2a-specific antibodies were screened by ELISA. BALB/c mice immunized with DNA vaccine anti-PBP2a have shown higher antibody titers mainly after the fourth immunization, and intriguingly, no correlation between the humoral immune response and DNA dose was observed. Our results suggest that the DNA vaccine anti-PBP2a induced an immune response by production of specific antibodies anti-MRSA in a non-dose-dependent manner, and it could represent a new and valuable approach to produce specific antibodies for passive immunization to overcome MRSA infections.

Animals↗

PubMed1987

Rapid immune adherence reactivity of nascent, soluble antibody/DNA immune complexes in the circulation.

Immune complex disease in humans and experimental animals can occur as a consequence of the binding of specific antibodies to exogenous or endogenous antigens. If this reaction occurs in the circulation, the fate of the resulting immune complex may depend upon many factors including the ability of the immune complex to fix complement and bind to complement receptors on circulating cells (immune adherence). We studied the in vivo formation and immune adherence of soluble antibody/dsDNA immune complexes in the circulation of both a nonprimate and a primate model. The fact that this sequence of biological recognition reactions is completed in less than 2 min suggests that the immune adherence phenomenon may play a crucial role in the clearance of nascent complement-fixing immune complexes from the circulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Immune complex effects on murine macrophages. II. Immune complex effects on activated macrophages cytotoxicity, membrane IL 1, and antigen presentation.

We investigated the effects of immune complexes on macrophage functions in vitro. Immune complexes inhibit lymphokine induction of both I-Ak expression and cytotoxic activity by fetal calf serum elicited macrophages during long-term (7 days) culture. In addition, induction of antigen presentation was significantly inhibited by immune complexes. Expression of membrane interleukin 1 (IL-1) (a membrane-bound bound form of the T cell mitogen required for antigen presentation by fixed cells) was minimally inhibited by immune complexes. Therefore, inhibition of antigen presentation was primarily due to effects on Ia expression rather than membrane IL 1 expression. The inhibitory effect of immune complexes was not found during short-term culture (4 to 48 hr) when activated macrophages (bearing high levels of Ia) from mice infected with Listeria monocytogenes were examined. Immune complexes maintained or even increased levels of both I-Ak and cytotoxicity in activated macrophages. The implications of these findings for immune complex modulation of the immune response are discussed.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

Immune complex receptors on cell surfaces. II. Cytochemical evaluation of their abundance on different immune cells: distribution, uptake, and regeneration.

A recently developed method for ultrastructural demonstration of cell surface receptors for immune complexes is applied to evaluation of these receptors on various cell types. The method entailing incubation with a complex of horesradish peroxidase (HRP) and antibody to HRP (anti-HRP) disclosed dense foci indicative of immune complex receptors distributed at 30- to 120-mmu intervals over macrophage surfaces. Invaginations, loop-like evaginations, and pinocytotic vasicles stained prominently. The number of stained immune complex receptors averaged 200,000 per oil-induced macrophage and 120,000 per noninduced macrophage, as determined from counts of focal deposits in electron micrographs. Receptor periodicity on giant cells present in oil-induced exudates resembled that on macrophages, but the larger giant cells contained an estimated 1.5 million sites. Although receptor periodicity on eosinophils and neutrophils equaled that on macrophages, the staining was lighter and was interrupted by intervals of unstained membrane. Neutrophils averaged 28,000 and eosinophils 35,000 receptors per cell, whereas those lymphocytes with receptors averaged 3,500 per cell. Viable cells incubated with anti-HRP sequentially exhibited about half as many reactive sites as did cells incubated with immune complex. When warmed to 37 C, viable macrophages and eosinophils pinocytosed soluble immune complexes almost completely within 30 minutes and phagocytosed insoluble complexes more slowly. The endocytosed soluble immune complexes were sequestered within tubulovesicular structures in addition to the expected phagocytic vacuoles. Receptors appeared fully active on macrophages that were restained with soluble, cold immune complex after they had endocytosed immune complex in the course of a 30-minute warming interval.

Animals↗

PubMed1982

Pneumococcal polysaccharide immunization of children with sickle cell disease. II. Serologic response and pneumococcal disease following immunization.

One-hundred seventy-four children with sickle cell disease (SCD) were immunized with a single dose of tetradecavalent pneumococcal vaccine. Preimmunization and postimmunization antibody against 13 of the 14 pneumococcal capsular antigens was measured by indirect hemagglutination (IHA). The ability of each antigen to stimulate antibody following immunization was characterized by one of three types of responses: (1) poor antibody response regardless of the age at immunization (capsular types 6A, 14, and 19F); (2) improving antibody response with advancing age at immunization (capsular types 1, 4, 9N, 12F, 18C, and 23F); and (3) good antibody response regardless of age at immunization (capsular types 2, 3, 7F, and 8). An increase in antibody following immunization was significantly correlated (P less than 0.0005) with an increasing level of preimmunization antibody titer for all 13 antigens. Through the first 24 months of study, two episodes of pneumococcal sepsis caused by group 23 pneumococci were documented in two children immunized prior to 24 months of age (incidence rate, 4.40/100 patient-years in children less than 5 years of age), and one additional episode caused by a group 23 pneumococcus occurred in a 5 7/12-year-old child (incidence rate, 0.66/100 patient-years in children greater than 5 years of age). These observations suggest that anamnestic immune response significantly contributed to the enhanced antibody response observed in older children and adults. Only modest vaccine efficacy may be expected among children with SCD who receive a single dose of pneumococcal vaccine.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

The opsonic antibody response of female rats to type III group B streptococcal immunization: a model for maternal immunity.

Group B streptococcus (GBS) remains a major cause of neonatal infection. Maternal immunization-induced GBS antibody may protect neonates from GBS disease. Since the opsonophagocytosis assay correlates well with survival in GBS infected suckling rats, we sought to determine an immunization schedule which would induce type III GBS opsonic antibody in rat dams above a predetermined level of 10 dilution-1 (dil-1). This schedule could then be used for future studies of maternal-fetal immunity. Wistar rat dams (n = 12) were given killed GBS type III using three immunization schedules (primary injection, initial booster at 7, 14 or 22 days and then weekly boosters). Opsonic GBS type III antibody and total immunoglobulin (IgG) were measured. Only the schedule with a 7-day initial booster resulted in GBS type-specific opsonic antibody consistently above 10 dil-1. The IgG (467 +/- 83 mg/100 ml) remained constant while the opsonic antibody increased significantly to 50 and 63 dil-1 (P less than 0.01 compared to day 0) after boosters on day 7 and 14 respectively. Eight pregnant dams, who received a primary immunization and boosters at 7 and 14 days, developed GBS type III opsonic antibody titers (72 dil-1) similar to non-pregnant dams and potentially adequate to protect suckling rats from GBS disease. This model may now be used to study other adjuvants, immunogens, and maternal-fetal immunity using established suckling rat models of GBS disease.

Analysis of Variance↗